MARCH WAS NATIONAL SOCIAL WORK MONTH

As a social worker, I have the privilege to help singles and couples adopt and raise their kids. I consider myself fortunate to do work that I truly enjoy.

Each year during SOCIAL WORK MONTH, I reflect on my career. It was always focused on children and families. Before finding a home in adoption, I worked in foster care, in a school, a residential center for tweens, and in the Veterans Administration. I love adoption work, adopted twice myself and have shared my knowledge with clients and professionals for over 35 years.

Last month alone, I did 9 homestudies, 4 homestudy updates (for those still waiting to adopt over a year from their homestudy completion) and 6 post placements (for those who have brought home babies). I also counseled 4 families on their adoption options or on a parenting issue. My work spans from the initial thought someone has about adopting to those already raising kids and finding the complexity of being an adoptive parent, child or family needs to be addressed.

COVID-19 has not interfered with the desire to be a parent or to grow a family. While, it has led to accommodations in the interview process, as well as in some hospital and placement protocols, things are slowly getting back to normal. People are finding safe ways to travel and where to stay while away from home. They are asking me all sorts of questions about relationships with birth parents; whether they can still meet face to face and how to safely travel with a baby or young child. 

Others are there to guide you along the way of your adoption journey.  Safety about meetings, quarantines and traveling with a baby or child are questions that a pediatrician should answer. How and where those meetings should take place would most likely be answered by the adoption agency or whoever is working with the birthparent. My role is to review your plan and readiness from an emotional point of view. Are you ready to meet the birthparent? what can and should you talk about? 

I don't need SOCIAL WORK MONTH to remind me of my professional role or how lucky I am. I actually get that feeling each and every time I counsel or assess a family's readiness to adopt or how they are doing now that they are home with their new child. Each March reminds me that sharing my knowledge and providing any reassurance, encouragement or guidance that may be needed, is an honor.

Thank you to all who have allowed me to be part of your adoption journey. 

Kathy Ann Brodsky, LCSW is a New York and New Jersey licensed social worker, adoptive mom and advocate for ethical adoption practice. Through her private practice and agency affiliations, she has prepared  thousands of adoption  homestudies, counseled  expectant, birth, pre/post adoptive parents and  adopted  persons, as  well  as trained  professionals  to  work  with  adoptive  families. She  was Director of the  Ametz  Adoption  Program of  JCCA and a member of the Advisory Board for POV’s Adoption  Series and the  Adoption  Advisory  Board  of  Path2Parenthood, She is currently on the Adoption   Professional   Advisory  Council  of  HelpUSAdopt , a member of the Advisory Board of the Family Equality Council and  active  in  the  Adoptive Parents Committee in  New  York.  Her  blogs  and  written contributions can be seen throughout the Internet, including  her  BLOG  and  as  Head  Writer  for  ADOPTION.NET   She  was  named  an  “Angel in Adoption” by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption in 2001. You can reach her directly.